Who are we?

Alison Ho - Soprano 1

Alison Ho is a B.Mus (Hons) graduate of the University of Melbourne. She majored in voice, studying with the counter-tenor Hartley Newnham. From 1991-1995 Alison was a decani soprano in the Choir of Ormond College. She toured Japan and Europe twice with this choir, singing both as a chorister and soloist. She features on several recordings by the choir. In 1995 Alison moved to Ballarat to take a teaching position at Ballarat and Clarendon College. She has also been a member of the music staff at Ballarat Grammar School. Alison has taught classroom music from Prep through to Year 12, individual singing students, and has also conducted and accompanied a number of choirs at the two schools. Alison has also worked with the Australian Youth Choir since 1996. She is now the mother of two delightful small children, who keep her well occupied!

Helen Duggan - Soprano 2

Helen began singing in vocal ensembles of various sizes when she was a child, and as a teenager she played flute and piccolo in the Melbourne Youth Orchestra. Since graduating from the University of Melbourne, she has taught classroom and instrumental music and introduced a choral music program in a number of secondary schools. In Ballarat, Helen has performed with the Ballarat Choral Society, the Saint Cecilia Singers and Musica da Chiesa, both as a choir member and as soprano soloist. She is also an experienced recitalist, and takes particular pleasure in performing music for small groups. Currently, Helen teaches voice at Sacred Heart College, Kyneton and is musical director of the Ballarat Choral Society.

Lyndell Allen - Alto 1

Lyndell graduated with a degree in Music from the University of Melbourne in 1996 and has studied singing with Merlyn Quaife, Peter Mander and Stephen Grant. She began singing as a chorister at St. Paul's Anglican Church, Geelong, at the age of 6 and has since performed with the Choir of Trinity College (University of Melbourne), Ballarat Choral Society, St. Cecilia Singers and the Melbourne Chorale. Lyndell has been soloist for works including masses by Mozart, Beethoven, Vaughan Williams and Schubert, Pergolesi's Stabat Mater, Mozart's Requiem, Vivaldi's Gloria and Handel's Messiah. She played Erinice in the Australian Premiere of Sosarme, an opera by Handel (1997). In 2003 she was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to pursue her studies in choral direction. She currently directs choirs, and is Assistant Head of Music at Ballarat Grammar, and is Director of Music at Christ Church Anglican Cathedral, Ballarat.

Amber van Dreven - Alto 2

Amber has always loved a jolly good sing! Despite an extensive career in nursing, she has always been a part of singing groups dating back to primary school. Secondary school saw her take part in many musical productions and at the age of 16, she joined the Ballarat Choral Society with whom she sang on and off for over a decade. She has also enjoyed singing with the seasonal Cantori Christiani and until joining Vox, was a member of The Melbourne Chorale.

Kyle Hackwill - Tenor

Kyle is a B.Mus. graduate of the University of Melbourne. He majored in music education and performance (flute), studying with both Peter Edge and Thomas Pinschof. Kyle has performed with numerous choral groups including The Melbourne Chorale, University of Melbourne Choir and Chamber Choir, the Mozart Singers (Warrnambool) and The Saint Cecilia Singers (Ballarat). He is leader of a choral group at St Columba's Church Ballarat. During his teaching career, Kyle has constantly been involved in singing at school, leading choirs and vocal ensembles at Emmanuel College, Warrnambool, Brent International School Manila and Ballarat Clarendon College. Kyle has also been involved in musical theatre, performing lead tenor roles on stage, playing in the pit and musically directing various shows throughout Western Victoria.

Peter Freund - Bass 1

Peter is a graduate of the University of Melbourne and the Victorian College of the Arts. He started choral singing in school choirs, returning to it when he joined the Ballarat Choral Society. He draws on his background in both history and acting to devise and develop performances exploring aspects of local cultural history.

Stewart Greedy - Bass 2

Stewart is the newest member of VOX. His love of music started in childhood and has continued to this day. Since moving to Ballarat in 1996 to start work, he has been constantly involved with numerous local music theatre companies as both instrumentalist and singer/actor. He thoroughly enjoys the challenge presented by the music that VOX perform, and finds the performance of the repertoire for audiences very rewarding and enjoyable.